The present invention relates to a locking apparatus for a vehicle.
An electric vehicle which will be widely used includes a battery for supplying electric power to a drive motor mounted in the electric vehicle. A battery unit includes the battery accommodated in a case and is mounted to the vehicle body. The battery mounted to the vehicle body needs to be recharged when the electric power stored in the battery is consumed and to be replaced periodically. Therefore, various types of battery unit mounting devices for a vehicle have been proposed for effectively completing locking and removing the battery unit to and from the vehicle body not only when manufacturing an electric vehicle but also when using an electric vehicle.
Japanese Patent Application Publications No. 2010-184622 and No. 9-188143 disclose a battery unit mounting device for a vehicle which is used for moving the battery unit to a mounting position below the vehicle body and mounting the battery unit to the vehicle body. The battery unit mounting device for a vehicle disclosed in the Publications No. 2010-184622 and No. 9-188143 includes a mounting device by which the battery unit is moved upward to the mounting position when mounting the battery unit to the vehicle body and moved downward from the monting position when removing the battery unit from the vehicle body and a locking member by which the battery unit is locked and released to and from the vehicle body. The bolt disclosed in the Publication No. 9-188143 serves as the locking member.
According to the battery unit mounting device for a vehicle disclosed in the Publications No. 2010-184622 and No. 9-188143, after the battery unit is moved upward to the mounting position for the vehicle body by the mounting device, the battery unit is fixedly mounted to the vehicle body by the locking member, so that locking of the battery unit to the vehicle body is completed. After the battery unit is released from the vehicle body by the locking device, the battery unit is moved downward from the mounting position by the mounting device, so that removing of the battery unit is completed.
According to the battery unit mounting device, however, when mounting the battery unit to the vehicle body, after the battery unit is moved upward to the mounting position by the mounting device, the battery unit should be locked to the vehicle body by the locking member which is different from the mounting device. Thus, it takes more time and labor for mounting the battery unit to the vehicle body. This tendency becomes remarkable when a bolt is used as the locking member.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-275798 discloses a locking device for a vehicle. The locking device includes a base plate, a latch and a pawl. The base plate has formed therein a recess for receiving a striker. The base plate supports the latch in such a manner that the latch is rotatable around the axis of a first rocking shaft between locking state in which the latch is locked to the striker in the recess of the base plate and releasing state in which the latch is released from the striker in the recess. The base plate rotatably supports the pawl so that the pawl is rotatable around the axis of a second rocking shaft between the first position in which the latch is prevented from rotating by the pawl and the second position in which the latch is released from the pawl thereby to rotate. A cable is operatively connected to the pawl. The latch and the pawl have engaging portions, respectively, which are engageable with each other. One end of the latch is linked to one end of the pawl through a coil spring.
According to the locking device disclosed in the Publication No. 2010-275798, the latch is rotated around the axis of the first rocking shaft by the striker in the recess. When the latch is locked by the pawl, the striker is locked by the latch. The pawl is rotated around the axis of the second rocking shaft in accordance with the rotation of the latch due to the urging force of the coil spring. When the pawl is rotated to the first position, the latch and the pawl are engaged with each other at the engaging portions thereof, so that pawl prevents the latch from rotating, with the result that the striker is locked to the locking device.
When releasing the striker from the locking device, operator operates the cable. When the operator operates the cable for releasing the striker, the pawl in the first position is rotated to the second position, and the engaging portion of the latch is released from the engaging portion of the pawl. Then, the latch is rotated by urging force of the coil spring from the locking state to the releasing state. Thus, the striker is released from the latch in the recess, and the striker is also released from the locking device.
The locking device is provided for a vehicle seat assembly including a seat and a seat back which is swingable relative to the seat. In this case, the locking device is provided in the seat back, and the striker is provided in the seat. Fixing the striker by the locking device with the seat back set in its upright position, the vehicle seat may be fixed in its use position. Releasing the striker from the locking device, the seat back becomes swingable, so that the seat and the seat back may be set in parallel relation to each other to be stored in the storage position.
According to the locking device for a vehicle disclosed in the Publication No. 2010-275798, the latch is prevented from rotating only by the pawl and operable from outside of the locking device. If the pawl is rotated for some reason from the first position to the second position, the latch is unexpectedly changed from the locking state to the releasing state. In other words, there is a fear that the striker may be released from the locking device unexpectedly without any operator's will.
The present invention which has been made in light of the above problems is directed to providing a locking apparatus for a vehicle that offers easy and reliable operation.